Medea Culpa
|Season = 4 |Antagonist = Hera |Setting = Greece |In-Universe Date = Year 3 (with flashbacks to Year -9) |Production # = V0315 |Filming Dates = 30 October to 10 November 1997 |Original Air-Date = |Written By = Robert Bielak Alex Kurtzman Roberto Orci |Story By = |Teleplay By = |Directed By = Charles Siebert |Order in Series = 70 of 111 |Order in Season = 11 of 22 |Order in Franchise= 132 of 304 |Prev Episode in Series = "Hercules on Trial" |Next Episode in Series = "Men in Pink" |Prev Episode in Franchise = "The Quill is Mightier..." |Next Episode in Franchise = "Maternal Instincts" |title cap image = }} Summary Hercules, Iolaus and Jason are sitting on the edge of a lake fishing. They have a little competition about who can catch the biggest fish. Hercules catches a huge fish and Jason wonders why he even tries. Iolaus says, "a little competition never hurt anybody." Hercules reminds them of the time when they met Medea and competition almost did get someone hurt. Iolaus says they were just kids, but Jason says they were lucky kids. Hercules remembers that time in their past. During a chariot race with Jason, Hercules saved a little girl who ran in the way of his chariot. She told him that the Ghidra killed everyone in her village and she is the only one left. Hercules told her he would help to kill the Ghidra. When Jason found out about the Ghidra, he and Iolaus joined Hercules to defeat it. As they went to look for the Ghidra, they met a young woman, Medea, bathing in a lake. As the men went to investigate, the woman sneaked up on them and pulled a dagger on Iolaus. She asked them what they were doing, they told her they were going to kill the Ghidra, but she did not believe them. She said she would go with them to give them some help. The four walked on to find the Ghidra, Hercules and Medea talked, then the group heard screams off in the distance and ran on to the village. When they arrived the village was being sacked and buildings were burning. They fought some of the men that were there. A man informed them that the Ghidra destroyed their village and the men were picking at the ruins. A crying woman came carrying her son and told them the Ghidra had crushed their house. Hercules took the boy and tried to help him, but he was already dead. Medea pushed Hercules out of the way and knelt down next to the boy, placed her hands on his head and chest, then using some magic brought him back to life. Hercules asked Medea how long she has had her gift. She told him that both her parents are mortal, so she had no idea where her powers came from. She explained to him about her home life and that she was afraid of her stepfather who treated her like a freak because of her powers. Hercules told her that maybe she needs to stand up to him and face her fears. Hercules told Jason and Iolaus that the would need a boat to get to Mount Seleas, where the Ghidra is hiding. Hercules and Medea journeyed back to her home, while Jason and Iolaus looked for someone with a boat to help them out. When Hercules and Medea arrived back home, Medea saw the charred village and the burned body of her mother. Guilty at the death of her mother, she told Hercules she was a coward for leaving, but Hercules told her she would have been killed too if she had stayed. That evening, on the boat to Mount Seleas, Medea thanked Hercules for helping her face the truth and they shared a kiss. When things got heated, Hercules said things were moving too fast for him. Later, Medea seduces Jason, but things turned bad when they were found by Hercules and Iolaus. Jason tried to explain, but he and Hercules began fighting, sending Jason into a tree injuring him. Hercules told Iolaus he feel stupid because he thought Jason was his friend. Hercules then went off on his own to fight the Ghidra alone. Medea went to the woods to find some leaves to treat Jason's wound. There she is met by Hera, in the form of a little girl. It was revealed that Hera and Medea were working together. Hera told Medea that she must carry out the plan until Hercules is dead. When Hercules and Iolaus arrived at Mount Seleas, they went into the cave to look for the Ghidra. Elsewhere Jason told Medea that he must help Hercules, then Hera appeared and commanded her to kill Jason, but Medea refused and told Jason to run. This angered Hera and she used her powers to fire lightning bolts at Jason, killing him. In the cave, Hercules and Iolaus began fighting the Ghidra and Medea used her powers to heal Jason. She and Jason went to aid Hercules and Iolaus against the Ghidra. Working together, they were able to defeat the monster. Then Hera appeared and took Medea, leaving the three boys behind. Hercules thanked Jason for coming back as he needed his help and that they were friends again. In the present, Jason asks Hercules when he really forgave him, Hercules replies, "last week" and the three men laugh. Disclaimer "No two-headed, fire-breathing, regenerating Ghidras were harmed during the production of this motion picture." Gallery File:Medea culpa 01.jpg|I remember a time... File:Medea culpa 02.jpg|Chariot Race File:Medea culpa 03.jpg|A virgin File:Medea culpa 04.jpg|Medea discovers her parents File:Medea culpa 05.jpg|Medea and Jason File:Medea culpa 06.jpg|Hera admonishes Medea File:Medea culpa 07.jpg|Medea saves Jason File:Ghidra 02.jpg|The Ghidra Background Information * This is the first episode to "retcon" Jason as being a peer of Hercules and Iolaus rather than their elder. This would be preserved in the movie and "TV series, but the age gap between Jason and Alcmene that this creates is never addressed. * First appearance of Chris Conrad as Young Jason. * The Medea featured in this episode is apparently not the one Jason eventually married and saw murder his children. ("Once a Hero"). * The Ghidra is an hommage to the japanese King Ghidra, a recurring, three-headed space dragon debuting in the 5th Godzilla movie. * Unlike the other "Young Hercules" episodes, this episode is presented as a single long flashback instead of going back and forth. Memorable Quotations "Come now, Hercules! Did you think I would tolerate my husband's infidelity lightly?!" "That's between you and Zeus." "No! You're between us! But if you die a horrible death, maybe he'll think twice next time before his eyes start to wander – before he fathers any more half-mortal mongrels like you!" :–'Hera' and Young Hercules "I'll be seeing you, Hercules." "You can count on it." :–'Hera' and Young Hercules "Okay, okay, I'm gonna tell you something, and you're not gonna like it. Sometimes, it's hard to be your friend." "What?" "Look, I'm no oracle. There are a lot of things I don't understand, but from the first day I met you, I just knew that you were destined for something the rest of us could only dream about. People like me and Jason – normal people, we'll be lucky if our names are even mentioned in the same breath as yours. And that is not always easy to live with." "Why are you defending him? If you're gonna tell me that jealousy makes people do stupid things, you can forget it cause that's no excuse." "No, it's not." "Well, if I'm just so hard to be around, why don't you just leave?" "Cause I'm a better person for knowing you. Hey, I used to be a thief. Remember? And yeah, Jason made a mistake – a big one! But if you could just give him half a chance, you might be a better person for it, too." :–'Young Iolaus' and Young Hercules "I thought you said she was naked." "She is naked – under her clothes. :–'Young Iolaus' and Young Jason "Maybe we should have made an appointment. You didn't tell me it has two heads." "It slipped my mind." "Anything else you forgot to mention?" "Yeah. The stinger on that tail – it's instant death." "Anything else?" "Yeah. It breathes fire, too. Duck!" "Anything else?" "No, that's about it." :–'Young Iolaus' and Young Hercules, while fighting the Ghidra "When did you really forgive me?" "Last week." laugh :–'Jason' and Hercules Links and References Guest Stars * Dean O'Gorman as Young Iolaus * Chris Conrad as Young Jason * Jacinda Barrett as Medea * Ian Bohen as Young Hercules Other Cast * Jeffrey Thomas as Jason * Narelle Swenson as Little Girl / Hera * Vanessa Guy as Teenage Girl 1 * Benjamin Banse as Villager * Carol Seay as Woman * Ian Harrop as Fisherperson * Alan De Malmanche as Servant * UNCREDITED as the voice of Hera * UNCREDITED as Boy References * Zeus * Ghidra Season Navigation de:Medea Culpa Category:HTLJ Season 4 episodes